Connor Zilisch has undergone surgery to repair the broken collarbone he suffered on Saturday at Watkins Glen.

Zilisch posted to social media that he “wanted to give everyone a quick update. Had surgery on my collarbone this morning to get a plate and screws to help with the healing process. Been a tough few days for me mentally, but all the love you guys have shown has certainly helped. Thank you.”

Zilisch, 19, fell from his JR Motorsports Chevrolet when he slipped off the door while celebrating in victory lane.  Fortunately, it was the only injury Zilisch suffered, as his left leg and ankle were caught in what appeared to be the window net as he fell.

The incident resulted in Zilisch being taken from victory lane on a backboard and later transferred to a local hospital. He was released the same night.

The injury sidelined Zilisch from competing in the Cup Series race on Sunday at Watkins Glen. It was his last scheduled race in the series for the season.

JR Motorsports has not announced whether Zilisch will be sidelined from any upcoming Xfinity Series events. The series is off this weekend, but will return to action on August 22 at Daytona International Speedway with three races left in the regular season. 

Zilisch not only leads the series with six victories, but also leads the championship standings. He is seven points ahead of JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier and 24 points ahead of Haas Factory Team driver Sam Mayer.

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

Trackhouse Racing driver Connor Zilisch had surgery Tuesday to repair a broken collarbone suffered in a fall Saturday while celebrating his victory at Watkins Glen.

Zilisch, in a social media post, said he underwent the surgery so a plate and screws could be put in and help the healing process.

The Xfinity Series points leader did not say when he might return to racing. The series is off this weekend and then has three regular-season races remaining at Daytona, Portland (road course) and World Wide Technology Raceway (commonly known as Gateway).

Zilisch indicated on the “Door Bumper Clear” podcast that he was briefly knocked out after the fall, where he had one foot on the roof and one on the driver’s side window sill, where he had not tucked the window net inside the car but was instead laying underneath his foot. 

“I was climbing out of the car and obviously the window net was on the door and as soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped and the last thing I remember is being halfway done and falling,” Zilisch said during the USA telecast of the Cup race Sunday.

“I’m glad it wasn’t any worse.”

All CT scans Saturday proved negative for any head injuries.

Zilisch, who races for JR Motorsports in the series and leads teammate Justin Allgaier by seven points in the standings, fell off his car when he lost his footing while trying to stand on his car following his sixth victory of the season. If he doesn’t start a race, he would need a waiver to miss a race(s) and still be eligible for the playoffs.

He also could possibly start a race and then have a stand-by driver replace him during the event — Zilisch would then get the points for wherever the replacement driver finishes.

Zilisch, the No. 1 Cup prospect in a FOX Sports midseason prospect ranking released last week, is expected to race full time in the NASCAR Cup Series next year. Trackhouse has already announced that Daniel Suarez will not return and a Zilisch announcement is expected soon.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

19-year-old Connor Zilisch fell from his race-winning car at Watkins Glen in a frightening moment that left the entire NASCAR community stunned. Thankfully, he escaped with only broken collarbone, which prevented him from competing in the NASCAR Cup race on Sunday.

However, the focus is now on getting Zilisch fully healed in time to compete for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. The rookie sensation has six wins this year, and currently leads the regular season point standings. The next race takes place at Daytona International Speedway on August 22nd, and there but still three races until the NXS playoffs get underway.

Advertisement

On Tuesday, Zilisch provided the following update regarding his recovery: “Wanted to give everyone a quick update. Had surgery on my collarbone this morning to get a plate and screws to help with the healing process. Been a tough few days for me mentally, but all the love you guys have shown has certainly helped. Thank you.”

Connor Zilisch taken away via stretcher, JR Motorsports Chevrolet

The teenager has also been using humor after his Victory Lane tumble went viral, responding to video of the fall with the following message: “Now that I know I’ll be alright, it’s gonna be tough to make a comeback from this generational aura debt. Dang, at least I won.”

Advertisement

Zilisch also appeared on the Door Bumper Clear podcast this week, his right arm in a sling. “The last thing I remember, I was split on the door so I had one leg in and one leg out of the car,” he said on the podcast. “The last I remember, and I don’t know why, but I thought I was going to break my femur. My leg was stuck. I thought I was done.”

Read Also:

Winner Connor Zilisch leaves on a stretcher in scary Victory Lane fall

Connor Zilisch suffers broken collarbone in shocking fall while celebrating win

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

With two-thirds of the NASCAR Cup Series races in his rearview mirror, Glendale native Michael McDowell is looking to make his way up the standings under the lights this Saturday in Richmond.

Over the first 24 races of the season, McDowell has tallied two top-five, three top-10 and 12 top-20 finishes. The 2021 Daytona 500 winner is currently 22nd in points, 44 markers below the playoff cutline.

He will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Go Workforce Chevrolet ZL1 in Saturday’s 400-lap race at Richmond Raceway. The Cook Out 400 engines roar at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time.

Kyle Petty’s Next Gen comments have lit a fire in the NASCAR world, Carson Hocevar’s clash with Michael McDowell stirred up garage drama, and Spire Motorsports once again found itself in the middle of a mid-season shake-up. Add in a big Truck Series seat swap, Petty’s social media follow-up, and a fresh set of Cup Series power rankings, and this week’s NASCAR storylines are loaded.

• Was Carson Hocevar justified in his post-race frustration after getting hit twice by his veteran teammate?
• What’s behind Spire Motorsports cutting a truck and letting Andres Perez de Lara go despite recent signs of improvement?
• Did Kyle Petty miss the point in defending the Next Gen car, or is he right that fans need patience?
• Which drivers rose or fell in the latest Cup Series power rankings after Watkins Glen?

The mix of heated radio chatter, sudden driver moves, and a high-profile debate over NASCAR’s premier car makes for one of the busier news cycles we’ve had lately. Some of these changes could ripple into the playoffs, others could shape how teams approach 2025, and the Petty vs. critics discussion is bound to keep fans divided. One thing’s certain: the conversation won’t cool off before Richmond under the lights this weekend.

Watch also

The race for the last playoff spots comes down to the final races of the regular season in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.

Shane van Gisbergen’s victory in last weekend’s Cup race at Watkins Glen didn’t alter the playoff standings for those trying secure one of the last spots. Thirteen drivers are in via wins, leaving three positions open with two races left in the regular season.

Advertisement

Tyler Reddick is 117 points above the cutline, Alex Bowman is 60 points above the cutline, and Chris Buescher holds the final playoff spot by 34 points.

Ryan Preece, Buescher’s RFK Racing teammate, is the first driver outside a playoff spot. Preece is 34 points behind Buescher heading into Saturday night’s race at Richmond — coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Here is a look at the Cup playoff standings (drivers in yellow have won and clinched a spot in the playoffs):

Xfinity Series

The Xfinity Series, which is off this weekend, has three races left in the regular season. Eight drivers have secured playoff spots with wins, leaving four spots open.

Advertisement

Carson Kvapil is 112 points above the cutline, Sheldon Creed is 77 points above the cutline, Taylor Gray is 76 points above the cutline and Harrison Burton holds the final playoff spot.

Jeb Burton is the first driver outside a playoff spot. He’s 30 points below the cutline. Ryan Sieg is 38 points below the cutline.

The series is back in action Aug. 22 at Daytona.

Craftsman Truck Series

Friday night’s race at Richmond is the final race of the regular season for the Truck Series.

Two spots remain via points. Kaden Honeycutt is 65 points above the cutline. Jake Garcia holds the final playoff spot by 11 points on Ben Rhodes and 21 points on Giovanni Ruggiero.